Sincerely, Saskia

Ah, the Oscars. Every year they do something to piss folks off, and when it’s not the Black community, it’s the female one. 

The Oscars are not known for their celebration of those who aren’t straight, white or male – as past years have proven – but this year has a lot more to say than the Barbie-Oscars snub people can’t stop talking about. 

As much as I agree a snub has taken place, the Barbie discourse is ironic on so many levels.  I mean, Ryan Gosling getting a nomination for Barbie when Barbie herself doesn’t is laughable and proves how much a movie like Barbie is needed. However, social commentary aside, if Margot was to win an Oscar for anything her performance in I, Tonya – even Wolf of Wall Street – surpasses her performance in Barbie.

Let’s face it, there are only so many ways to play “stereotypical Barbie.” 

The Barbie discourse is distracting people from some pretty important nominations that aren’t being celebrated.

If we’re being 100% honest with ourselves, the snub well and truly lies with the film’s director, Greta Gerwig.

America Ferrera’s role is the kind of role you’d expect the Academy to award in the supporting category, but if Barbie hadn’t smashed the box office – and completely obliterated the competition – we wouldn’t even be having this conversation. None of the cast would have been given a second thought because Barbie is seen as a girl’s film, and girl’s films don’t get the recognition they deserve. No matter how much they carry pop culture, nothing heavily favoured by girls gets the respect it deserves. As America said, “the system is rigged.” 

Although that is the infuriating point behind everyone’s outrage, the Barbie discourse is distracting people from some pretty important nominations that aren’t being celebrated or really highlighted in the media right now. 

In the history of the Oscars, only three women have ever won the award for Best Director – which, I know makes the snubs of Greta and Emmerald Fennell for Saltburn worse – but just as few racial minorities and LGBTQIA+ people have won awards in major categories as well. 

The fact that, in 95 Oscar ceremonies, these two are the first to coexist as nominees in the same year is beyond ridiculous.

You know who was nominated for Best Director, and is only the eighth woman ever to be nominated? French director Justine Triet for Anatomy of the Fall. That gives her the chance to be the fourth female director ever to win, and her feat is being pretty overshadowed. Of course, it shouldn’t be the case of either or – but this is the Oscars – there inability to award equally is well documented. 

However, this year, Colman Domingo – who is gay and Afro/Latino – has been nominated for Best Actor for portraying gay Black activist, Rustin. This nomination makes him the first Afro/Latino actor to ever be nominated in this category. Along with Colman, Jodie Foster – who is no new face to the industry – has been nominated for Best Supporting Actress for Nyad, shockingly making it the first time that two out and proud gay actors have been nominated at the same time for playing out and proud characters. 

As I write this, I seriously question what year it is we’re actually living in. The fact that, in 95 Oscar ceremonies, these two are the first to coexist as nominees in the same year is beyond ridiculous.

And I haven’t even touched on the fact that Colman’s nomination for Best Actor sits beside Jeffrey Wright’s nomination in the same category for American Fiction; making it only the second time two Black actors have been nominated at the same time in this category.  American Fiction also sees Sterling K. Brown nominated for Best Supporting Actor, making it the first time two Black actors from the same film have been nominated in both respective categories. 

And last, but certainly not least, Lily Gladstone’s nomination makes her the first Native American nominated for Best Actress for her role in Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon. 

Sorry Barbie fans, but this outrage for Margot and Greta needs to come second to these important steps in the fight for diversity at the Oscars because it has been moving at a painstakingly snail’s pace. For these communities, these wins are, in fact, monumental victories because of how many snubs they’ve had to endure over the Oscars long reign as the most prestigious award ceremony in Hollywood. 

Let us not forget this Barbie snub comes from the same award show that #oscarssowhite was coined for. So, the fact that this time diversity is winning out is something I can’t and won’t be mad about. 

Only the wins will tell whether these “firsts” transpire into the much-needed shake up that has been missing from years prior. And, if not, I guess we’ll be back here next year, feigning shock that the Oscars has, once again, let us down.